Summer is just starting and that means amazing summer events! Check out our picks for June, especially those celebrating this Indigenous History Month!

 

6: Author Event: David Chariandy on I’ve Been Meaning to Tell You
David Chariandy is one of Canada’s most exceptional writers, having been nominated for the Governor General’s Award and whose compelling stories have brought fresh urgency to questions of masculinity, family, race, and identity in Canada.  I’ve Been Meaning to Tell You—his non-fiction debut and follow-up to the critically-acclaimed Brother — is written as a letter to his 13-year old daughter and recounts Chariandy’s experiences coming of age as a visible minority in Canada in an intimate and profound meditation on the politics of race today. Chariandy will be joined in conversation by writer and broadcaster Jael Richardson, Artistic Director of The Festival of Literary Diversity, with the panel moderated by Elamin Abdelmahmoud, an editor at BuzzFeed Canada.

6—20: Burden(some)
Hosted by Project 40 Collective, burden(some) is a series of workshops that explores the passing over of burdens between the individual and the collective within the Asian diasporic community. Burdens are unique to every individual, often resulting from factors larger than themselves and things they cannot control. Instead of viewing our burdens as a heavy emotional weight, we hope to envision ways to embrace our hardships and obstacles and support the sustainability of our community. burden(some) highlights how we can practice self-care and extend care to others through communal storytelling, visually manifested as a collective floor tile mural. Using art as a means for listening and recording, participants will create clay floor tiles. Each tile holds a story, and the collective mural reflects the beauty of single parts becoming a whole—shared experiences and shared support. Through this emotional churning, the burden is no longer a burden but a site of possibility. For more information on the workshops, please click the link!

9: Anita
Luminato and Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema present Game Changers: Inspiring Women, a six-film documentary series that celebrates revolutionary women who changed the rules in politics, art, civil rights and beyond. Anita is by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Freida Mock and follows U.S. attorney Anita Hill twenty years after she delivered her powerful testimony at the confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas, and her heroic stand against systematic sexism. Hill endured continuous harassment from Thomas and faced an all-white male jury in a nine-hour experience that became a turning point for gender equality in the United States and paved the way for women to fight against sexual harassment.

14: NameSake VII
In its seventh iteration, NameSake is back with a series of workshops that explore names in Asian diasporic communities where individuals must negotiate between a multitude of names and thus, identities. Names are used as an entry point into self and communal exploration and place-making, and participants are invited to share their stories, experiences, and relationships with their names. They will also contribute to the creation of an alternative baby name book (an archive of our multiple names and stories) and a communal art installation that will be held at the end of the workshop series. As an outdoor event the workshop will double as a picnic, so be prepared for great food and fun as we navigate some heavy topics!

21-24: Indigenous Arts Festival
Held at Fort York, this annual festival celebrates the very best of Indigenous and Métis culture with traditional and contemporary music, educational programming, storytelling, dance, theater, and food! The historic site promises to come alive with powerful ancient traditions and captivating contemporary creations by exhibiting Indigenous artists.

27: Indigenous History Month Celebration
Yonge-Dundas Square is the site for the 9th Annual Indigenous History Month Celebration sponsored by the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto. The event will include performances by Logan Staats, Blackstone, Toronto Métis Jiggers and more, have children’s activities, and host community agencies arts and crafts vendors!

This list was compiled by Aliya Ghare